THIS was the terrifying moment a woman realised her car was completely trapped by gushing flood water on a remote Dales road – but thankfully she was reached by emergency services before her car swept away.

Sue Brown, from Richmond, had been working in Reeth on Tuesday afternoon, and by the time she left at 3.30pm, it was already raining hard.

She said: "It had been rumbling with thunder when I arrived at my meeting at 2.30pm, and by 3.30pm it was torrential. I couldn't believe the amount of surface water on the road already.

The Northern Echo: Sue Brown who was rescued from her car after it was trapped by flood waterSue Brown who was rescued from her car after it was trapped by flood water

"I drove very carefully back through Grinton towards the road to Richmond but when I reached Ellerton Grange, not far out of Grinton, I had to stop. There were cars in front and behind, but I could see the amount of water coming down from the hills and it was gushing onto the road.

"Some cars went round me but I later found out their cars broke down, one that went ahead looked like it was floating.

"The dry stone walls had come away on the hills with the force of the water, and I could feel the rocks bashing by car.

The Northern Echo: The view from Sue Brown's carThe view from Sue Brown's car

"It was like a waterfall of brown water. By this point it was like a bubbling rapids swirling around the car, and I couldn't go backwards because I could feel the force of the water behind me.

"I rang my husband and I said he would come and get me, although I knew he wouldn't reach me, but it was good for my moral!

"Shortly after I saw blue lights at the end of the stretch of road, and eventually some of the Swaledale Mountain Rescue Team and firefighters got close enough to give me a thumbs up to see if I was ok.

The Northern Echo: Sue Brown's car can be seen in the distance trapped by floodwatersSue Brown's car can be seen in the distance trapped by floodwaters

Mrs Brown said she knew if she opened her car door she would let in more water and potentially be swept away.

Finally the rescue team reached her and helped her out of the boot of the car.

She said: "I had to then wade through the freezing water, holding onto the back of my rescuer, and follow his steps exactly.

"Once I was safely in a field, he left me and said he had to go and rescue a mum with two young children from a car further behind where I was.

"The scariest part was the last walk through the field on my own with lightning flashing around me.

She added: "I want to say a massive thank you to the emergency services as they were all fantastic."